Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Pulaski County

I’m Heather Smith-Nuckols and I am a 34-year-old single mother of a 13-year-old teen-ager and a beautiful 2 year old. After losing my job, house, and my car about 4 years ago – I have been trying to rebuild my life – bigger and better than what it was before. In 2002, I decided that I needed to go back to school.

I am currently attending Pulaski Technical College with a 4.0 grade point average and will be graduating with honors in the spring with an Associate of Science degree. I will then transfer to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to pursue my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. My ambition is to continue my education. I am prayerfully considering Medical School or being a Nurse Anesthetist.

Whatever our situations may have been that brought us to be single and parents, the one thing that has been uniform between us all is our responsibility to better ourselves so that we may be better as parents and providers for our children.

The Single Parent Scholarship Fund provides opportunities for us to do just that. Each semester, I am awarded $650.00 to put towards tuition, books, utilities, daycare, car repair, doctor bills, car insurance, and even gas.

Not only are we single parents, but also we are students attending classes full time with little time to work and even less time to study which equals very little income.

Having a scholarship with this type of freedom is rewarding in more ways than one. We are not restricted to applying the money only to the educational institution in which we are attending but we may use it to take care of our business in areas where the money really runs short.

What you give through your contributions is a gift. It is a gift to me, to my classmates, and to our children. Being a parent is a wonderful privilege given to us. It takes dedication, commitment and unconditional love. But being a SINGLE parent, means you have to have all of the above times two. It is very challenging but it is an honorable obligation.

Naomi C. Tuner ^

Graduating from North Little Rock High School May 1994, I decided to take a few years off and then go to college. Within this time, I became pregnant with my now 6-year-old son, Tristan. He was born premature: 2 lbs 13 ounces. I spent three months in the hospital due to the complications of his birth. It was through this experience that I decided that I needed to attend college and work my way into supporting my son and myself.

Being in the hospital, I witnessed first-hand how nurses performed miracles. I decided that I wanted to perform miracles; that I wanted to help the parents of premature babies. I set my sites on becoming a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) nurse. As of May 2003, I graduated Pulaski Technical College with a general Associates of Arts Degree and accomplishing my prerequisites to further my studies with UAMS.

I attended UAMS for the summer semester, but also having to work 30-35 hours per week was a little too much for me to handle. Eventually, I left the Nursing Program at UAMS to pursue other options at UALR. At the time, I was very frustrated with myself and I imagined that I let a lot of people down. I knew that I still wanted to work with small children, but I didn’t know what my options would be.

Choosing a major at UALR, became somewhat of a roller coaster ride. I am now in the Early Childhood Education Program at UALR. I absolutely love the program and the field that I have chosen! I have been able to stick by what I have always wanted to do - work with small children and help them in any way possible.

I have been attending college since May 1999 and look forward to graduating in May 2006 and working as a kindergarten teacher. I have received the SFSF Scholarship for the past 3 years. There have been times that I thought I couldn’t last any longer; that I should’ve dropped out of school a long time ago, but the staff has always been there for moral and emotional support. They have kept good on their promises and have shown concern for the welfare of the students and their families. I don’t think that I can ever thank them enough for the hard work and friendship that they have provided for my son and me over the years. This has truly been the best gift of all.

Thanks for believing in me!

Lakendra Ready ^

My name is Lakendra Ready and I am a 22-year-old full-time student and employee. I am also the proud mother of four year old LaKyra Banks.

I attend Baptist Health School of Nursing and Allied Health and I am employed by Arkansas Children’s Hospital as a pharmacy technician. I am a single parent working hard to achieve my goal of becoming an RN. I am in my second year of nursing school and I have really enjoyed the program at Baptist. The program is very challenging and it has been great learning experience. I plan to pursue my BSN and work in critical care to become a nurse anesthetist.

Being a single parent, managing school, and working full-time is very hard and it is a big responsibility. Therefore, I am thankful for the Single Parent Scholarship Fund. It has been extremely helpful for me the past year and a half. This scholarship works by awarding me $650 a semester pays my rent or utilities, fixes my car if anything goes wrong, and helps pay for groceries. It also gives me great information during annual workshops. SPSF also informs me about helpful things that are going on in the community that are of benefit to my child and me.

I am blessed to be a part of a family who really cares and who will help you in any way they can at any time. Thanks Single Parent Scholarship Fund for choosing me as a recipient, I am truly grateful.

Want to Get Involved or make a Donation? Click here.


Heather Smith Nuckols ^

I’m Heather Smith-Nuckols and I am a 34-year-old single mother of a 13-year-old teen-ager and a beautiful 2 year old. After losing my job, house, and my car about 4 years ago – I have been trying to rebuild my life – bigger and better than what it was before. In 2002, I decided that I needed to go back to school.

I am currently attending Pulaski Technical College with a 4.0 grade point average and will be graduating with honors in the spring with an Associate of Science degree. I will then transfer to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to pursue my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. My ambition is to continue my education. I am prayerfully considering Medical School or being a Nurse Anesthetist.

Whatever our situations may have been that brought us to be single and parents, the one thing that has been uniform between us all is our responsibility to better ourselves so that we may be better as parents and providers for our children.

The Single Parent Scholarship Fund provides opportunities for us to do just that. Each semester, I am awarded $650.00 to put towards tuition, books, utilities, daycare, car repair, doctor bills, car insurance, and even gas.

Not only are we single parents, but also we are students attending classes full time with little time to work and even less time to study which equals very little income.

Having a scholarship with this type of freedom is rewarding in more ways than one. We are not restricted to applying the money only to the educational institution in which we are attending but we may use it to take care of our business in areas where the money really runs short.

What you give through your contributions is a gift. It is a gift to me, to my classmates, and to our children. Being a parent is a wonderful privilege given to us. It takes dedication, commitment and unconditional love. But being a SINGLE parent, means you have to have all of the above times two. It is very challenging but it is an honorable obligation.



Naomi C. Tuner ^

Graduating from North Little Rock High School May 1994, I decided to take a few years off and then go to college. Within this time, I became pregnant with my now 6-year-old son, Tristan. He was born premature: 2 lbs 13 ounces. I spent three months in the hospital due to the complications of his birth. It was through this experience that I decided that I needed to attend college and work my way into supporting my son and myself.

Being in the hospital, I witnessed first-hand how nurses performed miracles. I decided that I wanted to perform miracles; that I wanted to help the parents of premature babies. I set my sites on becoming a NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) nurse. As of May 2003, I graduated Pulaski Technical College with a general Associates of Arts Degree and accomplishing my prerequisites to further my studies with UAMS.

I attended UAMS for the summer semester, but also having to work 30-35 hours per week was a little too much for me to handle. Eventually, I left the Nursing Program at UAMS to pursue other options at UALR. At the time, I was very frustrated with myself and I imagined that I let a lot of people down. I knew that I still wanted to work with small children, but I didn’t know what my options would be.

Choosing a major at UALR, became somewhat of a roller coaster ride. I am now in the Early Childhood Education Program at UALR. I absolutely love the program and the field that I have chosen! I have been able to stick by what I have always wanted to do - work with small children and help them in any way possible.

I have been attending college since May 1999 and look forward to graduating in May 2006 and working as a kindergarten teacher. I have received the SFSF Scholarship for the past 3 years. There have been times that I thought I couldn’t last any longer; that I should’ve dropped out of school a long time ago, but the staff has always been there for moral and emotional support. They have kept good on their promises and have shown concern for the welfare of the students and their families. I don’t think that I can ever thank them enough for the hard work and friendship that they have provided for my son and me over the years. This has truly been the best gift of all.

Thanks for believing in me!



Lakendra Ready ^

My name is Lakendra Ready and I am a 22-year-old full-time student and employee. I am also the proud mother of four year old LaKyra Banks.

I attend Baptist Health School of Nursing and Allied Health and I am employed by Arkansas Children’s Hospital as a pharmacy technician. I am a single parent working hard to achieve my goal of becoming an RN. I am in my second year of nursing school and I have really enjoyed the program at Baptist. The program is very challenging and it has been great learning experience. I plan to pursue my BSN and work in critical care to become a nurse anesthetist.

Being a single parent, managing school, and working full-time is very hard and it is a big responsibility. Therefore, I am thankful for the Single Parent Scholarship Fund. It has been extremely helpful for me the past year and a half. This scholarship works by awarding me $650 a semester pays my rent or utilities, fixes my car if anything goes wrong, and helps pay for groceries. It also gives me great information during annual workshops. SPSF also informs me about helpful things that are going on in the community that are of benefit to my child and me.

I am blessed to be a part of a family who really cares and who will help you in any way they can at any time. Thanks Single Parent Scholarship Fund for choosing me as a recipient, I am truly grateful.



Want to Get Involved or make a Donation? Click here.



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